I was lucky enough to spend last week in southern Italy, soaking up sun and eating a lot of pasta. So, fresh full of inspiration, and bolstered by many of you saying you were keen in poll form, I’ve decided to make July Pasta Month. First up, it’s Pasta con Salsiccia e Funghi, a joyful use of odds and ends you might have in the fridge, and an easy 10 minute treat.
Our first Pasta Month recipe comes from my cousin Ewan, who is a talented chef. He first ate it at a Mum and Pop restaurant in Ostuni, Puglia. I have decided it should be coined Fry Up Pasta because its core ingredients are sausage (or pork product), mushrooms, and tomatoes, a medley of goodness you’d find in a classic full English breakfast or fry up.
The combination of those core flavours mingle together to create the most simple of emulsified sauces around the pasta, and the crunch from almonds and hum of rosemary make this even more comforting to eat. It’s all very appealing. Better still, it can be made with whatever cured pork you have in your fridge, and the ends of packets of mushrooms and tomatoes, which are often to be found in my veg drawer, I don’t know about you. As for the rosemary, you might remember I encourage you to always source this for free by pinching a sprig when you walk past a neighbour’s bush. At the end of the day, we are all gods’ children and herbs are for sharing.
The sausage sauce is served here with fagiolini – a short and fat pasta shape with strong similarities to orecchiette. This is hard to find outside of Italy so go for cassarecce, orecchiette or anything short and curly which will act like little boats to house the sauce. I like this pasta because you don’t have to go to pains to caramelise each ingredient. Instead, you let them keep their integrity and just start to wilt in the heat of the pan, releasing juices and good omens. Let’s do it!
Pasta con Salsiccia e Funghi (Fry Up Pasta)
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to What's That You're Cooking, Thea? to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.